1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to apparatus that is useful in performing diagnostic and therapeutic modalities in the biliary tree and more particularly to apparatus that is adapted for facilitating the diagnosis of gallstones in the bile duct and other portions of the biliary tree and the removal of such gallstones.
2. Description of Related Art
Historically the migration of gallstones into an individual's common bile duct was corrected by general surgical procedures. A surgeon would incise the bile duct and remove the gallstones and normally remove the gallbladder. In recent years less invasive treatment modalities have replaced these general surgical procedures and reduced patient trauma, long hospital stays and recovery periods.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,668 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,677, both to Wilcox, disclose a treatment modality involving the administration of a dissolution agent in the bile duct to essentially dissolve any gallstones. More specifically, a catheter contains several lumens for inflating and deflating each of two balloons, venting bile, and infusing and aspirating the dissolution agent. Inflating the balloons occludes the bile duct at two spaced sites and creates a sealed spaced that receives the dissolution agent. As the space is sealed from the remaining biliary tree, the dissolution agent finds access to the gallbladder and any gallstones therein through the cystic duct with the exclusion of bile from the gallbladder fundus. The dissolution agent also will be confined in high concentration around bile duct gallstones. After the gallstones dissolve the balloons are deflated and the catheter can be withdrawn. In this particular approach, the catheter is directed into the biliary tree using a standard duodenoscope that passes through the alimentary tract. Although this and analogous approaches have the potential of minimizing patient trauma, such treatments require extended placement of the duodenoscope in the patient, exhibit low efficacy and introduce a potential for adverse reactions to the dissolution agents.
In an alternative-approach, a surgeon directs a surgical extractor into the biliary tree through at least an incision in the bile duct. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,108,593 to Glassman a surgeon incises both the bile duct and duodenum. Then the surgeon directs an extractor through the bile duct incision, biliary tree, sphincter of Oddi and duodenum to exit through the duodenum incision. This extractor includes a series of longitudinally spaced cages for trapping any gallstones in the bile duct and removing them through either of the incisions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,837 to Gonzalo discloses a catheter device with a pair of inflatable balloons at its distal end. This catheter is led through an incision in the bile duct toward the duodenum. After the distal balloon passes through the sphincter of Oddi, both balloons are expanded to anchor the catheter in place. This enables the catheter to be used for irrigating and flushing through other lumens in order to capture any gallstone in the second balloon for removal through the incised bile duct.
In accordance with still another modality as for the treatment of strictures, a surgeon may insert a catheter device through the bile duct or duodenum for the purpose of dilating or enlarging the sphincter of Oddi. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,041 to Kim discloses a dilator that is directed through an incision in the bile duct and the sphincter of Oddi. An expandable tip dilates the sphincter of Oddi. U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,696 to Rydell discloses an electrosurgical instrument that is directed through the duodenum and to the sphincter of Oddi for performing a sphincterotomy. This apparatus contains a cutting wire that is heated to cut the sphincter muscle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,617 to Karpiel, discloses a similar device that can be directed through a duodenoscope. U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,772 to Sewell, Jr. discloses a device for performing a sphincterotomy that is directed through an incision in the bile duct and includes a knife for cutting the sphincter muscle.
The use of the duodenoscope and sphincterotomy devices, such as shown in the Rydell and Karpiel patents, enables an internist to diagnose and treat problems in the biliary tree with minimal patient invasion. For example, modalities as described in these patents eliminates the surgery needed for incising the bile duct. Consequently, these modalities can be performed as outpatient or day surgical procedures. These procedures greatly reduce patient trauma, the length of a hospital stay and recovery times. For example, if an internist determines that gallstones are present in the biliary tree, particularly the common bile duct, the internist can insert a duodenoscope into the duodenum to view the sphincter of Oddi. Then a first catheter can be advanced through the working channel of the duodenoscope with or without a guidewire and directed through the sphincter of Oddi into the biliary tree. Contrast agent injected through the catheter enables fluoroscopy or other imaging procedures to confirm the presence of gallstones within the biliary tree. Next the internist exchanges the first catheter for a second catheter for performing a sphincterotomy such as the types disclosed in the above-identified Rydell and Karpiel patents. The second catheter is then exchanged for a third catheter such as shown in the Glassman patent or some other equivalent retrieval catheter for drawings gallstones through the enlarged sphincter of Oddi. Thereafter the retrieval catheter is manipulated to release the gallstone into the duodenum. The catheter, any guidewire and the duodenoscope can then be removed to complete the procedure.
This procedure is significantly less traumatic to the patient than other prior art procedures because the only incision occurs during the sphincterotomy. However, this procedure as presently practiced requires three separate catheters and two catheter exchanges. These exchanges are required because the first, second and third catheters function solely to inject contrast agent to perform the sphincterotomy and to dislodge gallstones, respectively. The time required for performing each catheter exchange can increase patient trauma and increase the duration of the procedure and reduce efficiency. Moreover, each such procedure requires the use of two or three separate catheter devices.